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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky was expected at Downing Street for talks with Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The visit followed Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine in which at least eight people were killed and 21 injured, with 600,000 people left without electricity. About 40 Russian ballistic missiles and more than 100 drones were fired at cities and targets, hitting energy and critical infrastructure. President Zelensky said that for a second night Ukraine had received no early warnings from its partners, and Ukrainian officials said access to parts of the Starlink communications network was restricted overnight, while Donald Trump denied that the US had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.

Other main headlines said a jury had been told that actor and comedian Russell Brand was ruthless and calculated as his rape and sexual assault trial began, and he denies the charges; that US inflation rose by more than expected in the year to September in the final data before the mid-term elections; that the Vatican said the Pope was recovering normally after surgery for lung cancer; and that the world's oldest shipwreck, which sank more than 4,000 years ago, was discovered off the coast of Turkey.

In the main coverage, the BBC's political correspondent said the UK would give President Zelensky a public welcome and practical military support, including accelerating anti-drone weapon deliveries, £10 million of a project worth more than £40 million to supply interceptors, and a £1.5 billion project for lightweight multirole missiles designed to shoot down jet-powered drones. Andy Burnham called it a dark and difficult moment for Ukraine and said his role was to repair bridges so that US support returned. Reports described attacks that came almost without warning, damage to apartment blocks and a power plant, and Starlink restrictions affecting long-range drones. A former US ambassador to NATO said the second night without warnings led to suspicion and that the Starlink change was significant, while a military analyst explained Starlink's military component, reduced bandwidth, and the role of US intelligence in targeting and early warning, with Ukraine also short of interceptors and Patriots. President Zelensky met King Charles at Buckingham Palace and thanked the King, the Prime Minister and Britain for their support, before arriving at Downing Street for his first meeting there with Andy Burnham.